Tat Wale Baba talk

Tat Wale Baba was a famous recluse in India. He was known as the “naked saint” as he wore only an ocher loin cloth. He was also called “the wise man of the mountains”. Tat Wale was a nickname meaning “one who wears jute”. Baba means “father”. He was quite fit and youthful looking, even at the time of his death at about 85, in 1974. His hair was very long and braided, hanging onto the ground. A 12′ cobra often visited his cave and he feed it milk.

As a recluse, he gave regular audience to visitors for a short time but rarely left the area. Many simply came to be in his presence. Even today, many still visit the site. Recently, I received a poor recording of part of a rare talk he gave when he visited Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s nearby ashram in late March of 1969. Maharishi translated.

“What is the aim of all the beings? The attainment of infinite happiness. Elimination of suffering and attainment of infinite happiness we want.

Now we should discriminate and analyze where there is anything in the world which can give us permanent eternal happiness. From the end up to the range of the Creator, all are in the field of change, relative values. Infinite happiness could only come from something which would be immortal, non-changing, eternal. This which is the goal of everything, the infinite, is our own Self. And in order to experience that Self, which is the basis of all, we don’t have to seek, we don’t have to search, we don’t have to make effort. It’s there, present everywhere. Wherever you are, in whatever range of time or place, that Self is there… Only, we have to take our awareness to that level and that is it.

Having forgotten that level of life, we are seeking for that happiness eternal.
That Self Is. It is Being and it is blissful. Having forgotten that, we now are seeking for it. We have forgotten what we ourselves are and we’re trying to find that in the world. As long as we don’t… enter into that area which is infinite happiness, free from suffering, so long we will not be free from suffering and will not get to that eternal happiness.

If there was any happiness in the world of significant nature, the childhood is gone, the youth is gone, and the man is old and even then he is not fulfilled in the world. When he gets established in Self, then automatically this freedom from suffering and attainment in bliss will be there. M adds – the thing is very important for to appreciate now. He says – That which is omnipresent doesn’t have to be sought. Its there already. Start to be. That which is omnipresent is not to be sought. Only our awareness has to be brought to that level and that bliss is there. You don’t have to seek it. (laughs)

Unless we get into that omnipresent bliss, satisfaction is not going to come. If it were to come, it would have come by now to so many endeavors in the world. But it has not! Therefore, that which is the Self is your own being. Don’t have to look in the outside. And it is irrespective of any religious faith or belief, Christians, or Muhammadans or Hindus. That being is the knowledge Itself. Only you have to know.

All these various manifestations of happiness that we experience in the world. They also are the manifestation of the same eternal being which is our own Self. If we are aware of the Self, if we know it, fine. Otherwise, we have to Be. And therefore, it is necessary to bring our awareness deep within ourselves. As deeply we can bring our awareness into the Self, so intensely we can inherit that which is omnipresent in our day to day life. Having known that Self, we will be eternally contented. Remaining in the world, we will live contentment.”

The recording ended abrunptly.

In looking for a decent picture to use, I ran into another transcription of this talk that overlapped, covering that later part. It is said to be in the out-of-print book “The Way to Maharishi’s Himalayas”. The talk continued:

“And, it’s not a matter of detaching ourselves from the world. Only, we have to know It, and having known It, then, all different manifestations in the world will be experienced as manifestations of That. We don’t have to detach ourselves. It is just a matter of bringing the awareness to that area, and be, and live It.

Having gained this beautiful, perfect human nervous system, if we have known that element of the Self, then we have really used this wonderful diamond-like gift, this diamond-like nervous system which is capable of giving that eternal bliss. If it is not experienced, then we have wasted that gift of diamond. We have taken upon ourselves this human nervous system, not for the sake of petty enjoyment of changing nature in this relative field of change, but to live and be that infinite bliss. And, we will have to attain that thing whether we attain it in this life, or in the next, or in the next. We just can’t forego that. Therefore, with the assistance of the guru and the scriptures, better to attain it quickly. Why postpone?”